New Beginnings
by jalana
Summary: Set after the anime/manga ends. As Aya goes into labor, lost loved ones return to say goodbye.


New Beginnings  
  
By jalana  
  
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Disclaimer: Ayashi no Ceres and all related characters are the property of Watase Yuu, and are used without permission in this story.  
  
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**SPOILERS** This story is set after the anime/manga series ends.  
  
  
  
"Tooya..." A hand reached out and shook his shoulder. "Tooya." The insistent voice penetrated through the sleepy fog clouding his mind. As Tooya rolled over, reluctantly coming out of his dream, her voice repeated his name more urgently.  
  
"What is it, Aya?" he mumbled, his hand coming up to rub the sleep from his eyes. It had been one of his nicer dreams. The two of them had been running up the beach, her laughter still ringing in his ears.  
  
"I think it's time, Tooya." Her words ended with a slight gasp of pain. He looked over at the woman by his side, her body curled into the fetal position. The meaning of her words finally sunk in, and he sat straight up in bed.  
  
"W-w-what? Now?" Tooya jumped out of bed and grabbed the first item of clothing he saw. "But it's too soon!" He dropped the pants at her low moan and rushed over to her side of the bed. Attempting to soothe the pain, he grabbed her clenched fist and began to rub her lower back.  
  
"Don't you think I know that?" Aya asked him, teeth gritted against the pain. "But who am I to argue with our child?" She let out a slow breath as the contraction finally eased. She looked at her husband, the worry evident in his green eyes. "We'd better get moving."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
He dreamed. He knew it to be a dream, had to be a dream, for SHE was standing there. She looked just as he remembered, hands on her hips, head thrown back. Her beautiful hair was in those ponytails she insisted on sporting, making her look even younger.  
  
"Yuuhi." Her soft voice barely registered, as his eyes drank her in. He realized he had been staring when he saw her lips creep into an amused smile. She took a step toward him, then stopped and shook her head. "I don't have that much time here, Yuuhi. I have something to tell you. I wasn't able to tell you before..." Her voice trailed off at the look of pain in his eyes.  
  
"I've missed you." His murmur echoed through the emptiness surrounding the two of them. At the sound of his voice, her smile grew. Her eyes took on that tender look, the one that had always been reserved only for him. Stepping forward once again, she reached for his hand and held on tight.  
  
"Oh, Yuuhi. You don't know how much that means to me." They stood together in silence, her grip never relaxing. Finally, she sighed. "I have to go." Even as the statement left her lips, she began to slowly fade from view.  
  
"No, wait!" Panic tinged his words, as he searched for something to prevent her from leaving him again. "What did you want to tell me?" His fist clenched on empty air, her small hand losing substance.  
  
"I love you..." Her voice floated back to him. "Good-bye..." A final whispering sigh and she was gone.  
  
He stared into the darkness at the spot where she had been standing and wiped away his tears. "Good-bye, Chidori."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"How is she, Sensei?" an anxious Tooya asked. He grasped Aya's hand firmly, her face showing the strain of the continuing labor.  
  
"Don't worry, young man," the doctor reassured him. "Both your wife and the baby will be just fine. She wasn't expected to go into labor for another six weeks, but I believe the baby has developed enough so that there should be no complications."  
  
Tooya's sigh of relief was cut short as Aya tightened her grip on his hand. A low pitched moan forced its way past her clenched teeth, signaling the beginning of yet another contraction.  
  
The doctor examined her quickly. "We'd better get her into the delivery room now," he announced.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Suzumi opened her eyes. Staring at the ceiling, she tried to figure out what had awakened her. As her mind slowly cleared away the last vestiges of sleepiness, she could feel a familiar presence in the room. An almost forgotten warmth spread through her at the sight of a man's silhouette by the window. Suzumi sat up, disbelieving what her heart was telling her.  
  
"Kazuma-san?" her stifled cry rang out. She lifted a wavering hand to her mouth, tears beginning to make their way down her cheeks.  
  
He stepped forward, into the moonlight. "Yes, Suzumi. I'm here." He moved next to her futon, and crouched down beside her. Trembling, she reached her hand toward his beloved face, then stopped inches away.  
  
"No, it's a dream. You can't be real." Shaking her head fiercely, Suzumi pulled back from the image of her husband. Her heart felt as if it were breaking once again as she remembered the last time she saw him, lying in that coffin.  
  
His low chuckle brought her back to the present and shocked her out of the impending hysterics. "Oh, Suzumi," he said in an amused voice. "Of course I'm not real. I'm dead, remember?"  
  
Her face registered confusion, then annoyance, then back to confusion, before finally settling on mild exasperation.  
  
Kazuma leaned in closer to Suzumi, and the annoyed expression on her face melted into longing. She held her breath, afraid that a single puff might blow away this wonderful apparition. Her eyes widened in surprise when his hand tenderly stroked her cheek.  
  
"Tonight is special," he said confidentially, eyes twinkling with joy. "Because of a certain event that is happening right now, I am able to come back to see you one last time."  
  
A look of confusion once again crossed her face. "What event?" she questioned in a hesitant voice.  
  
"Let's just say a special child will be born tonight, and that has allowed some of us with unfinished business to come back for a short period of time."  
  
Suzumi started to ask another question, the perplexed look in her eyes growing stronger, but was silenced when her husband placed a finger on her lips.  
  
"I don't have much time," he whispered seriously. He gazed into her eyes, then smiled sadly. "We never got the chance to say good-bye, my love."  
  
She gave an anguished sob, tears welling up in her violet eyes. "Oh Kazuma- san," she cried, "I've missed you so much!"  
  
He lifted her chin as he ran his other hand through her hair. "I'm sorry, Suzumi, for leaving you." Suzumi closed her eyes as he lowered his lips to hers, tears falling freely down her face. He gathered her in his arms as their kiss continued. In the darkness, their soft murmurs blended together like one voice.  
  
"I will always love you."  
  
"And I, you."  
  
"I miss you."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"My heart will be with you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
Kazuma slowly pulled back from their tight embrace. "I have to leave, my love," he said softly, his eyes full of regret and sorrow.  
  
Suzumi smiled at him and nodded. "I know," she replied, tears still falling. She watched sadly as he slowly faded away. "Good-bye, Kazuma- san. Good-bye."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I see the head! Now PUSH!" the doctor commanded.  
  
"AWWWWW!" Aya's screams rang through the delivery room.  
  
One of the nurses glanced at the paler-than-normal father-to-be and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Breathe, sir," she recommended. "It won't help your wife if you faint." Tooya gave the woman a distracted smile, then turned his attention back on Aya.  
  
"Almost there! One more push!"  
  
A final cry from Aya, then Tooya heard the most wonderous sound in the world. As the baby's cries reached the tired mother's ears, she gave a weary smile and tugged on Tooya's hand.  
  
"Ne, our baby..." she rasped, her voice all but gone after her ordeal.  
  
"It's a boy!" the nurse grinned as she handed Tooya his son. "Congratulations, sir!"  
  
Tooya looked at the bundle in his arms with astonishment. He pulled back the corner of the blanket to reveal the source of the loud cries filling the room. He stared at the red face for a moment, then turned to his wife. "He's beautiful," he told her sincerely.  
  
As the proud parents admired their new son, the doctor asked, "So, what are you two going to name him?"  
  
Aya looked up in surprise. "We haven't discussed--" she began, when Tooya interrupted her.  
  
"Aki," he said in a low voice. "Our son will be named Aki."  
  
Aya turned to Tooya with tears of gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you, Tooya," she said simply.  
  
She smiled at him tenderly, then turned back to their son. "Welcome home, Aki. We've been waiting for you."  
  
  
  
Notes:  
  
1) I know that in Asian cultures, babies aren't necessarily named right at birth. I didn't have a name until I was over a week old. However, for the purposes of this story, I decided to fudge the time table a bit.  
  
2) Let me know what you think! ^_^ 


End file.
